Analysis: Tough-o-Meter

(5) Tree Line

Folks, picking where this poem falls on the tough-o-meter was, well, tough. Jonson's diction can be extremely tricky, and really getting the most out of this poem requires a decent bit of background knowledge, which we think makes it pretty demanding.

On the other hand, there's not much in the way of complicated symbolism or complex metrical patterns, which makes the poetics of the piece relatively straightforward. Unable to give the poem both a 1 and a 10, Shmoop decided to compromise with a 5. We're all about meeting halfway.